Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-08-18

| speeding increasingly past US toward the
sea, like mems lives toward the grave, til
! it glittered like wide sheet of silver il
| the open where the trees threw on shadows
| Near the banks, however it was very dark
and the night-wind sighed sadly in the
reeds. To our left, on the farther side o.
the river, was little sandy bay which was
| clear of trees; and here [ could make out
| the forms of numerous antelopes advancing
to the water, till suddenly there came an
| omlnous roar, whereupon they all made of
| hurriedly. Then, after pause, caught
| sight of the massive form of his majesty
the lion, coming down to drink his fill af
| ter meat. Presently he moved on; then
| came the crashing of the reeds about fifty
yards above us, and, a few minutes later
huge black mass rose out of the water
| about twenty yards from me, and snorted
1t was the head of a hippopotamus Down
1t went without sound, only to rise again
within five yards of where sat- This was
decidedly too near to be comfortable, more
especially as the hippopotamus was evi-
IDENTIFY animated by intense curiosity to
know what on earth our canoes were. He
opened his great mouth, to yawn | sup
pose, and gave me an excellent view of his
worries; and | could not help rejecting how
easily he could crunch up our frail canoe
with single bite. Indeed / had half a
mind to give him ball from my eight
bore, but, on reflection, determined to let
him alone unless he actually made for the
boat. Presently he sank again as noise
lessly as before, and I saw no more of him.
Just then, on looking toward the bank on
our right, fancied 1 caught sight of dark
figure fitting between the tree trunks !
have very keen sight, and / was almost
sure that [ saw something; but whether it
was bird, beast, or man, L could not say
AT the moment, however, a dark cloud
passed over the moon, and [ saw no more
OF it. Just then, too, although all the other
sounds Of the forest had ceased, a species
Of horned owl, with which | was well &C
quainted, began to boot with great persist
ency. After that, save for the rustling of
trees and reeds when the wind caught
them, there was complete silence.
But somehow, in the most unaccountabIe
way, | had suddenly turned nervous.
There was no particular reason why
should be, beyond the srdinary reasons
which surround the Central African tray
eler, and yet undoubtedly was. If there
is one thing more than another of which I
and disbelief, it is Of presentiments; and
yet here | was all Of sNdden filled with
and possessed by most undoubted pre-
sentiment of approaching evil I would
not give way to it, however, although /
felt the cold perspiration stand out upon
my forehead. [ would not arouse the
others. Worse and worse | grew: my pulse
futtered like dying mans; my nerves
JoI HI
terror, which anybody who is subject to
nightmare will be familiar with; but still
my will triumphed over my fears, and |
lay quiet (for | was half-sitting, half-lying,
in the bow of the canoe), only turning my
face so as to command view of Umslopo-
gaas and the two Wakwaf who were sleep
ing alongside Of and beyond me.
In the distance I heard q hippopotamus
splash family; then the owl hooted again
In kind of unnatural, screaming note, mo
doubt this owl was a wingless bird. I af-
terward learned that the hooting of an owl
is a favorite signal among the Nasal tribes),
and the wind began to moan plaintively
through the trees, making heart-chilling
music. Above was the black bosom Of the
cloud, and past me swept the black flood
of the water, and I felt as though I and
death were utterly alone between them.
1t was very desolate.
Suddenly my blood seemed to freeze in
my veins, and my heart to stand still.
Was it fancy, or were we moving? [ turned
my eyes to look for the other canoe which
should be alongside of us. could not see
it, but instead I saw lean and cIutching
black hand lifting itself above the gunwale
of the little boat. Surely it was a night
4IA I11t
devilish-looking face appeared to rise out
Of the water, and then came lurch Of the
canoe, the quick flash of knife, and an
awful yell from the Wakwaf who was
sleeping by my side land the same poor fell
low whose odor had been annoying me),
and something warm spurted into my face.
In an instant the spell was broken; knew
that it was no nightmare, but that we
were attacked 10y swimming Nasal.
Snatching at the first weapon that came to
hand, which happened to be Umslopogaas'
battle-ax, / struck with all my force in the
direction in which had seen the flash of
the knife. The blow fell upon mans
arm, and, catching it against the thick
wooden gunwale of the canoe, completely
severed it from the body just above the
wrist AS for its, owner, he uttered no
like a ghost he went; leaving behind him
a bloody hand still gripping a great knife,
or rather a short sword, that was buried
IN the heart of our poor servant.
Instantly there arose a hubbub and con-
fusion, and | fancied, rightly or wrongly,
that made out several dark heads gliding
away toward the right-hand bank, wkither
we were rapidly drifting, for the rope by
which we were moored had been severed
with a knife. AS soon as I had realized
this fact, [ also realized that the scheme
had been to cut the boat loose so that it
should drift on to the right bank (as it
would have done with the natural ebb of
the crrrent), where no doubt a party Of
Nasal were waiting to dig their shovel
head spears into u.s. Selling one paddle
myself, [ told Umslopogaas to take an
other for the remaining Askari was too
frightened and bewiIdered to be of any
use) and together we rOwed vigorously
out toward the middle of the stream; and
not an instant too soon, for in another
minute we should have been aground, and
then there would have been an end OF us.
AS soon as we were wen out, we sex to